Conventionally, there have been many kinds of moxibustion devices which supply a thermal stimulus to an affected part to provide therapeutic effects such as promotion of blood circulation, removal of intramuscular wear, relief of the stiff muscles, ease of a neuralgia and muscular pain, activation of the gastrointestinal action.
Meanwhile, it is known that a raw loquat-leaf keeps the doctor away and is frequently used at various places. There are effective folk remedies, which are taught up to now and actually performed such as, for example, a method of repeatedly conducting the procedure to roast each front side of two loquat-leaves over a fire, then put the front sides together to rub against each other, and promptly put them on the affected part, another method which includes drinking a decocted loquat-leaf, and another method which includes a loquat-leaf warm bath. Relatively lately, it has been confirmed that a loquat-leaf includes the substance called “amygdalin” from which laetrile (vitamin B17) is extracted and that the laetrile is evaporated by heating to permeate in the body through the skin, thereby preferably purifying blood.
There is a moxibustion device, such as PLT 1, which provides treatment of burning moxa to supply the burning heat of the moxa on an affected part and simultaneously evaporating an extract of a raw loquat-leaf and the like by using the burning heat to permeate effective ingredients included in the moxa and loquat-leaf under the skin of the affected part.
The moxibustion device disclosed in PLT 1 has: a metal cylindrical body, having its surface covered with heat insulating material, in which moxa compressed and formed into a fairly hard bar-like shape can be slidably inserted; and a moxibustion cap member which is removably fit on the front end of the cylindrical body, provided with an outflow hole for the burning gas of moxa, and has a medical fluid evaporation chamber therein for filling up a member for absorbing and retaining a medical fluid such as a loquat-leaf extract.
With regard to the moxibustion device according to PLT 1, treatment is conducted by burning a bar-shaped moxa inserted in the cylindrical body, soaking a loquat-leaf extract or the like into the medical fluid absorbent-retentive member in the moxibustion cap before fitting the cap on the front end of the cylindrical body, and putting the gas outflow hole directly against the skin of an affected part. As using the burning heat of moxa for heating and evaporating the loquat-leaf extract soaked into the medical fluid absorbent-retentive member, the effective ingredients included in the moxa and loquat-leaf can sufficiently permeate under the skin of the affected part.
PTL1: JPY H02-38751